Must-see attractions in Edinburgh

  • Bell on the Roal Yacht Britannia.

    Royal Yacht Britannia

    Leith

    Built on Clydeside, the former Royal Yacht Britannia was the British Royal Family's floating holiday home during their foreign travels from the time of…

  • Detail of main facade of Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

    Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

    Edinburgh

    Edinburgh's gallery of modern art is split between two impressive neoclassical buildings surrounded by landscaped grounds some 500m west of Dean Village…

  • Royal Botanic Garden

    Edinburgh

    Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden is the second-oldest institution of its kind in Britain (after Oxford), and one of the most respected in the world…

  • Surgeons' Hall Museums

    Edinburgh

    Housed in a grand Ionic temple designed by William Playfair in 1832, these three fascinating museums were originally established as teaching collections…

  • Cramond Anti Submarine Defences.

    Cramond

    Edinburgh

    With its moored yachts, stately swans and whitewashed houses spilling down the hillside at the mouth of the River Almond, Cramond is the most picturesque…

  • Cammo's disused water tower, Cammo Estate.

    Cammo Estate

    Edinburgh

    A hidden gem loved by local hikers and dog walkers, Cammo is all ancient woodlands, crumbling ruins and faded grandeur. Located on Edinburgh’s…

  • The view from the top of Corstorphine Hill

    Corstorphine Hill

    Edinburgh

    The most westerly of Edinburgh’s seven hills, and the city’s largest woodland, Corstorphine offers steep (but short) ascents, venerable woodland and…

  • Gorgie City Farm

    Gorgie City Farm

    Edinburgh

    A working community smallholding with a range of farm animals (including woolly pigs!), a wildlife garden, a play park, a mini farm shop, and a pet lodge…

  • Lauriston Castle, parts of which date back to the 15th century

    Lauriston Castle

    Edinburgh

    Lauriston Castle has one of the most remarkable Edwardian interiors in Scotland, with elements dating back to the 16th century. Gifted to the nation in…

  • Outside Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith

    Out of the Blue Drill Hall

    Leith

    A multi-purpose, family-friendly arts hub, Out of the Blue occupies a magnificent old drill hall dating back to 1901 and hosts events, exhibitions,…

  • Outside the entrance to Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

    Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

    Leith

    This state-of-the-art building located on an old railway siding is the first purpose-built centre dedicated to sculpture in the UK. There are regular…

  • Inside the Biscuit Factory in Leith

    Biscuit Factory

    Leith

    This recent addition to Leith’s hipster scene is a creative arts hub housed in an old biscuit factory, also home to Edinburgh Gin’s second distillery…

  • 500px Photo ID: 105478949 - Sunrise taken in early spring from Blackford Hill in Edinburgh...You can buy prints or licence images on my website:.<a href="http://www.philipcormack.com/Photography/Edinburgh-Pictures/Classic-Edinburgh/i-jLHZfP6">Philip Cormack Photography</a>

    Blackford Hill

    Edinburgh

    A patch of countryside enclosed by the city’s southern suburbs, craggy Blackford Hill (164m) offers pleasant walking and splendid views. The panorama to…

  • Craigmillar Castle

    Edinburgh

    If you want to explore a Scottish fortress away from the crowds that throng Edinburgh Castle, try Craigmillar. Dating from the 15th century, the tower…

  • Edinburgh Zoo

    Edinburgh

    Opened in 1913, Edinburgh Zoo is one of the world's leading conservation zoos. Edinburgh's captive breeding program has helped save many endangered…

  • Leith Links

    Leith

    This public park was originally common grazing land but is more famous as the birthplace of modern golf. Although St Andrews has the oldest golf course in…

  • Pentland Hills

    Edinburgh

    Rising on the southern edge of Edinburgh, the Pentland Hills stretch 16 miles southwest to near Carnwath in Lanarkshire. The hills rise to 579m at their…

  • Hermitage of Braid

    Edinburgh

    The Hermitage of Braid is a wooded valley criss-crossed with walking trails to the south of Blackford Hill – with sunlight filtering through the leaves…

  • The Shore

    Leith

    The most attractive part of Leith is this cobbled waterfront street alongside the Water of Leith, lined with pubs and restaurants. Before the docks were…

  • Dean Village

    Edinburgh

    Set in the valley that runs beneath the Dean Bridge ('dene' is a Scots word for valley), Dean Village was founded as a milling community by the canons of…

  • Gilmerton Cove

    Edinburgh

    While ghost tours of Edinburgh's underground vaults and haunted graveyards have become a mainstream attraction, Gilmerton Cove remains an off-the-beaten…

  • St Bernard's Well

    Edinburgh

    St Bernard's Well is a circular temple with a statue of Hygeia, the goddess of health, built in 1789. The sulphurous spring within was discovered by…

  • Trinity House

    Leith

    This neoclassical building dating from 1816 was the headquarters of the Incorporation of Masters and Mariners (founded in 1380), the nautical equivalent…

  • The Meadows

    Edinburgh

    This mile-long stretch of lush grass criss-crossed with tree-lined walks was once a shallow lake known as the Borough Loch. Drained in the 1740s and…

  • Dean Bridge

    Edinburgh

    Designed by Thomas Telford and built between 1829 and 1832 to allow the New Town to expand to the northwest, the Dean Bridge vaults gracefully over the…

  • Newhaven Harbour

    Edinburgh

    Newhaven was once a distinctive fishing community whose fishwives tramped the streets of Edinburgh’s New Town selling caller herrin (fresh herring) from…

  • Hermitage House

    Edinburgh

    The visitor centre in Hermitage of Braid nature reserve explains the history and wildlife of the glen, and has details of nearby nature trails.

  • Maltings

    Edinburgh

    Alongside the River Almond in Cramond, opposite the cottage on the far bank, is the Maltings, which hosts an interesting exhibition on Cramond’s history.

  • Summerhall

    Edinburgh

    The Summerhall cultural centre houses several permanent art displays, and stages changing exhibitions of contemporary art.

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